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A classic - modern woody floral scent

Launched: 2007Olfactory group: Floral Woody Musk

:: Introduction ::

I picked up a bottle of this fragrance in 2007 soon after it was launched at airports. L'Instant Eau de Parfum being one of my cherished fragrances, I was keen to expand my horizon and explore the third addition to the range which also includes L'Instant Eau de Toilette and limited edition L'Istant Iris Millesime; all little sisters of the benchmarking L'Instant launched in 2003. L'Instant Magic is an entirely new composition but of course draws more inspiration from its predecessors other than just the very similar name.

:: The perfume house ::

Guerlain, Paris is one of the oldest perfume houses in the world that for more than 175 years has been producing innovative and the highest quality fragrances such as Samsara (1889), L'Heure Bleue (1914), Shalimar (1925), Vetiver (1959) and Habit Rouge (1965) still popular today.

:: The packaging ::

The overall look of the packaging and bottle of L'Instant Magic is very similar to L'Instant Eau de Parfum. The only difference between the two packaging is the shimmering pink mauve colour of the box compared to the white on the other. The familiar round-going Guerlain logo in dark blue are identical.

The L'instant Magic bottle is a beautiful square shape that is rounded off at the bottom. The click-top lid is rectangular stretching across the entire width and depth of the bottle. The 50 ml and 80 ml bottles do not come with the cord on their neck as opposed to the picture (which is probably a picture of the 30 ml Eau de Parfum version).

The bottle is quite heavy and bulky and oozes luxury, chic and assurance. The sides and the bottom are tinted black, the clear top, front and back are transparent shimmery pink.

:: The fragrance ::

Top notes: bergamot

L'Instant Magic is a fresh, light floral and woody scent with an oriental and rich feel composed in an orderly and classic manner. The trickly citrusy notes that appears first stays transparent and breezy for the first 20 minutes or so unlike other fragrances where the bergamot note tends to become slightly bitter and dry.

Middle notes: rose, freesia

The light top note are still noticeable when the fragrance develops its quite powdery floral heart of classic rose but here's a twist. The creamy freesia adds a touch of playfulness and gourmandise without being too overpowering or heavy. That's not to say that L'Instant Magic can only work as an evening fragrance though it is certainly a rich composition that should be used sparingly. The middle phase of the scent lasts for an impressive 4 - 5 hours the freesia being the more dominant note.

Base notes: cedar wood, sandalwood, white musk, almond nuances

The base notes may seem overpowering at first, but L'Instant Magic manages to be balmy and oriental in the dry down on the skin and it smells of lovely fresh woody cedar and a sexy blend of sandalwood and musk and if that wasn't enough after 9 hours into wearing it I noticed a lovely toffee sweetness that started diffusing into the sillage and which vaguely reminded me of Amaretto liqueur. I also noted a hint of frankincense when I inhaled the scent on my skin at this point, probably the mixture of fresh cedar wood and exotic sandal.

:: Conclusion ::

L'Instant Magic is warm and fresh, very feminine, modern, yet sexy with oriental nuances; a superior fragrance as duly expected from the perfume house. To sum up it is quite Guerlain-y, the usual quality stuff that has the 'MMM' but not the 'WOW' factor in it. A beautifully done, quality blend that somehow lacks that magic ingredient that are present in the rest of the L'Instant range... an additional something, an unexpected, genius accord that would make all the difference to an otherwise uniform, 'smelled before' addition to the L'Instant series.

:: Prices / where to buy ::

Prices can vary in department / fragrance store but are approximately the following: